Thomas Kwok

Principal Scientist at AbbVie

Lake County, Illinois, United States

About

Experienced process engineer with expertise in both drug substance and drug product development across multiple modalities and stages of pipeline development.

Experience

  • Principal Scientist at AbbVie
    Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

    R&D Process Engineer for Crystalline Drug Substance and Drug Product Process Development - Developed crystallizations for early pipeline APIs and executed in pilot plant at multiple scale - Engineering lead on multiple oral formulation drug product processes (Bilayer tablets, hot-melt extrusion, and spray drying)

  • Merck (5 yrs 4 mos)
    • Associate Principal Scientist
      May 2022 - Oct 2024 · 2 yrs 6 mos

      - Developed processes spanning modality (peptide, ADC, oncology) from first GMP delivery to filing. - Led a team of engineers to develop, characterize, and tech transfer processes internally and externally. - Managed scale-up and execution of 3 processes at our pilot plant in a 10-month Ops Engineer rotation. - Coordinated Handler Safety and Industrial Hygiene testing for our small molecule pipeline.

    • Sr. Scientist
      Jul 2019 - May 2022 · 2 yrs 11 mos

      - Optimize reactions and crystallizations to develop commercial manufacturing processes. - Lead departmental intern program for 3 summers, coordinating 15 total intern projects. - Interface and collaborate with colleagues in drug product, analytical, quality, and operations to support both early and late development (from projects at first-in-human studies to supporting a new drug application)

  • Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia Institute of Technology
    Aug 2014 - Jun 2019 · 4 yrs 11 mos

    • Optimized a solvent selection guide and performed techno-economic analysis for lignin extraction and valorization in a pulp mill • Developed a high throughput characterization of cellulose accessibility for biomass conversion to sugars

  • Associate Specialist - Biologics Bioprocess Intern at Merck
    May 2017 - Aug 2017 · 4 mos

    Optimized a potency assay with luciferase reporters for a metabolic and an immuno-oncology target. Designed a nano-luciferase platform assay in two cell lines; directed development with two CROs.

  • Founding Member and Chief Technical Officer at Zinerva Pharmaceuticals LLC
    Dec 2013 - Jan 2015 · 1 yr 2 mos

    Founded a four-person start-up company that employs non-canonical amino acids in a novel insulin drug. Obtained $20K of funding from investors; directed research in overseas laboratory; filed a provisional patent.